Upholstery covering attaching means



p 1 w. A. CLARK ET AL UPHOLSTERY COVERING ATTACHING MEANS Filed Sept, 1, 1948 mradw TM/ fl 2 W m Zr Q Z d? W Patented Sept. 11 1951 UPHOLSTERY COVE RING ATTACHING EANS William A. Clark. and.Vito Asaro, Detroit, Mich.,

assignors to L. A. Young Spring & WireCorporation, Detroit, Mich.

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a. device for attaching liile olstery coverings-to spring assemblies and the. 1 The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a device for attaching upholstery coverings to spring assemblies and the. likewhich may be attached: tov thev skirt. of the upholstery covering to constitutev a part thereof and readily and quickly engaged with the. base frame of a spring assembly to. attach. and. retain the. upholstery without. wrinkling and to dis tribute the retaining. stresses throughout the entire edge of the. upholstery- Second, to provide a device for attaching upholstery which may be very economically produced and. at. the same. time is capable of sustaining relatively heavy stresses and may be economically applied to-the upholstery.

Third,.to. provide a device having these advantages which is. adaptable for a wide range of uses.

Objects relating. to details and economies of the. invention will appear fromv the description to follow- The invention is pointed out in the claims.

A' preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an inverted perspective. view of a cushion spring assembly provided with an upholstery coveringhaving. the attaching device of our present invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2' is an enlarged fragmentary" View in section. on aline corresponding to line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig- 3' is an enlarged perspective View of one of the attaching hooks.

Fig. 4. is a. fragmentary sectional view corresponding to that of Fig. 2 illustrating a device of our invention engaged with a flat base member as distinguishedfromth'e round or rod base member shown in Figs. 1 and" 2.

In Fig. 1 .ofthe accompanying. drawing We illustrate a spring cushion structure comprising a plurality of pocketed body springs I, a base' comprising a border frame 2 and longitudinal and transverse wires; 3 and" 4" arranged in spaced parallel relation to the corresponding members of the border frame. The upholstering, designated generally by the numeral 5, is provided with skirt or side portions 5. The details. of the spring assembly form no part of our present invention.

The device of our invention, designated" generally by the numeral 1, is designed to be attached to the edge of the skirt portion 6 of the upholstering. This device comprises a flexible strip 8, preferably of fabric, which is folded lon- 2 gitudinally upon itself. to-embrace the reinforcing or'beading. strand. 9,.therebei'ng a row of stitches ID at the inner side of the strand, the edges of the strip extending a substantial distance to provide an attaching flap II, "This attaching flap is adapted to be stitched or otherwise secured. to the edge of the upholstery, a row. of stitching being shown at l2. The device is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced hooks [3 those illustrated being formed! of pieces of light wire bent upon. themselves and conformed to pro vide the hook bills I4. The bights l'5 of the folds constituting the tips of the. hooks and being outturned at- Iii-to facilitate engagement with a part such as-the rods 3 and 4: of Fig. I or a flatstrip' H offiFig- 4. p v

The arm portions ofthe' folded wire are com formed to provide shanks i8: terminating in bendable. prongs I9 which are inserted through the fabric-at the inner side of. the reinforcing strand and clinched around the strand and upon the fabric covering the same as clearly shownat 20 in Fig. 2. This. fixedly secures the hooks to] project inwardly from the strip. The double shank prevents lateral swinging movement of the hooks and they may be readilyengaged over a basepart to whichthe upholstery is to be secured.

The strand 9 is relatively stiff but is capable of. being bent as indicated at 2| in Fig. l. The preferred form of strand comprises a wire core 22 with a paper covering or body 23 twisted about the same. This provides a strong reinforcing strand and at the same time one which can be bent or conformed as desired. The reinforcing strand provides a uniform distributionof stresses throughout the length of the attaching device even though the hooks thereof are substantially spaced. The upholstery is held against wrinkling and may be quickly applied or released. In practice the springs are compressed. somewhat when the hooks areengaged. This facilitates engagement and. when. the pressure on the springs is released the upholstery skirt is drawn taut.

The upholsterymay be applied by a relatively unskilled person: and. with aminimum. of effort. The upholstery may be removed for cleaning or replacement by unskilled workers. and this avoids: the necessity of returning the cushions to thefactory when the upholsterybecomes worn or soiled.

We have illustrated and: described our invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. We have not attempted to illustrate the various modifications and adaptations which we contemplate as it is believed the disclosure will en- 3 able those skilled in the art to embody or adapt our invention as may be desired.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for attaching upholstery coverings to spring assemblies and the like, comprising a strip of fabric folded longitudinally upon itself, a relatively stiff strand comprising a wire core and paper twisted therearound disposed in the bight of the folded strip, there being a row of stitches through the folded strip closely adjacent to the strand, the edges of the strip projecting beyond the stitches and constituting an attaching flap adapted to be stitched to an upholstery covering, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced hooks formed of wire folded upon itself and conformed into a hook, the bight of the wire constituting the bill of the hook, the arm portions of the wire constituting shank members, the shank members being inserted through the strip at the inner side of the strand and retainingly clinched upon the strand, said strand constituting means to facilitate uniform distribution of stresses from the hooks to the fabric strip.

2. A device of the class described comprising a strip of fabric folded upon itself, a reinforcing strand arranged in the fold of the strip, the strip being secured together at the inner side of the strand in retaining engagement with the strand, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced wire hooks provided with shanks arranged through the strip at the inner side of the strand and clampingly engaging the strand the strand being relatively stifi but bendable to permit bending of the device, the strip at the inner side of the strand providing an attaching flap which may be stitched or otherwise secured to the edge of an upholstery covering or the like, said strand constituting means to facilitate uniform distribution of stresses from the hooks to the fabric strip.

3, A device for attaching upholstery coverings to spring assemblies and the like, comprising a strip of fabric, a relatively stifi strand around which the strip is folded, there being stitches through the folded strip closely adjacent to the strand, the edges of the strip projecting beyond the stitches and constituting an attaching flap adapted for attachment to upholstery, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced hooks having bendable shanks inserted through the strip at the inner side of the strand and supported by the strand, said strand constituting means to facilitate uniform distribution of stresses from the hooks to the fabric strip.

4.- A device for attaching upholstery coverings to spring assemblies and the like, comprising a strip of fabric, a relatively stiff strand around which the strip is folded, the edges of the strip projecting beyond the strand and constituting an attaching flap adapted for attachment to upholstery, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced hooks having bendable shanks inserted through the strip at the inner side of the strand and clamped about the strand, said strand constituting means to facilitate uniform distribution of stresses from the hooks to the fabric strip.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a flexible strip, a relatively stiff strand around which the strip is folded, the folds of the strip being secured together at the inner side of the strand, and longitudinally spaced springable hooks provided with spaced shank members arranged through the strip at the inner side of the reinforcing strand and clampingly engaged with the strand whereby the hooks are supported in relatively fixed relation to the strand, the strip at the inner side of the strand constituting an attaching flap for the device, said strand constituting means to facilitate uniform distribution of stresses from the hooks to the flexible strip.

6. A device of the class described, comprising a flexible strip, a relatively stiff strand around which the strip is folded, the strip folds being secured together at the inner side of the strand to retain the strand and provide an attaching flap, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced hooks provided with shanks passed through the strip at the inner side of the strand and clampingly engaged upon the portion of the strip embracing the strand, said strand constituting means to facilitate uniform distribution of stresses from the hooks to the flexible strip.

7. A device of the class described, comprising a flexible strip, a relatively stiff strand around which the strip is folded, the strip folds being secured together at the inner side of the strand to retain the strand and provide an attaching flap, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced hooks provided with shanks passed through the strip at the inner side of the strand so that the pull thereon is sustained by the strand, said strand constituting means to facilitate uniform distribution of stresses from the hooks to the flexible strip.

8. A device of the class described, comprising a flexible strip, a strand around which the strip is folded with the edges of the strip projecting to provide an attaching flap adapted for attachment to upholstery or the like to be secured, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced hooks provided with shanks arranged through the strip at the inner side of the strand and acting to clamp the strip about the strand, said strand constituting means to facilitate uniform distribution of stresses from the hooks to the flexible strip.

' 9. In a device of the class described, a reinforc ing stifiening strand, a flexible strip extending longitudinally of said strand and disposed around the strand to retainingly support the same and projecting to one side of the strand to provide an attaching flap for attachment to upholstery and the like, and a plurality of hooks spaced longitudinally of the strand and provided with shanks retainingly embracing-said strand, said strand constituting means to facilitate uniform distribution of stresses from the hooks to the flexible srip throughout the length thereof.

WILLIAM A. CLARK. VITO ASARO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 734,777 Utley et al. July 28, 1903 776,606 Mercer Dec. 6, 1904 1,649,981 Schlegal Nov. 22, 1927 2,096,822 Oldham Oct. 26, 1937 

